Convinced
by felesseta
Summary: Bulma is convinced that her new houseguest Vegeta would make the perfect match with her old friend Lunch. Funny how life works out, isn't it? B/V
1. Chapter 1

Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?  
  
Jane Austen  
  
***  
  
Convinced  
  
Chapter 1  
  
One would never guess that Bulma Briefs was Earth's greatest beauty judging by the way she slouched over a cluttered workbench, tools thrown everywhere, her lab coat dirty and torn in places, oil smeared across her cheeks and splattered in her baby blue hair, and her beautiful cerulean eyes squeezed almost shut to protect them from the sparks as she spot welded two metal pieces together without the protection of a visor.  
  
"Shit!" Bulma spat out, then stuck her newly burnt and grimy finger into her mouth in an effort to ease the pain, grimacing at the disgusting taste.  
  
She squinted her already tired eyes at the clock semi-mounted on the far wall and tried to make out the time. Only the hour portion was visible due to the mounds of mechanical junk which were heaped on both sides and which littered most of the cramped room. Groaning at the late hour, Bulma pushed aside her project and sat back in her chair to stare at the ceiling and rest for a few minutes. She'd been working on this project for her father for days now and still the end was a long way off. It also didn't help things that their new pain-in-the-butt houseguest kept interrupting her every couple of hours with some new and ridiculous request. She snorted. As if Vegeta ever "requested" a damn thing.  
  
"Insufferable ass," she whispered to the emptiness surrounding her.  
  
Right on cue and despite the late hour, the devil himself arrived, throwing open the lab door with a loud bang and depositing with a heavy thud a warped and twisted piece of metal in the space her project had occupied only moments before.  
  
"Fix this, woman," Vegeta glared at her and turned to leave.  
  
"Were your ears burning?" Bulma asked sarcastically.  
  
"Were my what?" Vegeta swung back around with his arms crossed and an impatient expression on his face.  
  
"Because I was just thinking to myself what a joy it is to have you around all the time bugging me. It's not like I don't have other things to do than fix what were perfectly fine droids only hours ago." Bulma's eyes flashed a dangerous challenge.  
  
"Shut up and quit your bitching," Vegeta snarled, in no mood for one of her tantrums. "Just fix the damn thing, woman. I need it working by morning."  
  
As he headed back out the door, a piece of machinery smashed against the doorframe next to his head. He smirked to himself and kept on walking.  
  
***  
  
Vegeta was just finishing his breakfast when Mrs. Briefs breezed back into the sunny room and started to clear the dishes.  
  
"Where's your brat this morning, woman?" he growled, staring at the place Bulma usually occupied in the morning. "She still in the lab?"  
  
Suddenly, a loud revving sound filled the room emanating from the courtyard outside.  
  
Mrs. Briefs smiled sweetly and replied, "I think that's her now."  
  
Vegeta headed outside without so much as a word of thanks for the meal and saw Bulma making some last minute adjustments to her hand built chopper. He noticed with appreciation that she'd cleaned up since last night and was now wearing riding leathers, a tight white crop top and a leather jacket. She finished the look off with some sleek boots, and a rolled up bandana keeping the hair off her face. Her helmet and shades were hanging from the tall handlebars. He was about to ask her where she was going when his second least favorite person on the planet strolled up to him and clapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Vegeta!" Yamcha happily greeted the Saiyan Prince. "You ready for some intense training today." Yamcha playfully boxed the air around him.  
  
"MY training is intense everyday, weakling. You would do well to follow my example." Vegeta looked the other man up and down and sneered. "Though, by this point, I don't think it would do you any good."  
  
Yamcha ignored his remarks and strode over to his girlfriend. He picked her up from her crouched position next to the engine and swung her light frame through the air. "So whatcha up to today, sweetheart?"  
  
"Yamcha! Let me go this instant," Bulma giggled and squirmed to be released. "I'm just going out for a ride to clear my head."  
  
"Dad got you working too hard?" Yamcha rested her up against the bike and kept his arms around her tiny waist.  
  
"Among other people." Bulma shot a glare in Vegeta's direction whose dark eyes looked on impassively.  
  
"Well, have fun and don't forget about our date tonight," he playfully crooned in her ear, but loud enough that Vegeta could hear. The Prince fought back a gagging reflex.  
  
Bulma whispered against his lips, "Oh, I won't," then proceeded to give him a long, deep kiss.  
  
Vegeta didn't realize he was staring until Bulma opened her eyes and watched him as she continued to kiss Yamcha. Feeling a sudden flush rise to his face, Vegeta turned around and headed towards the Gravity Room muttering to himself. "Stupid, low class woman. Shameless, completely shameless."  
  
***  
  
Bulma loved the feeling of the wind rushing past her face as she fled the confines of the Capsule Corporation compound and headed for a more rural landscape. After only snatching a few hours of sleep, no thanks to Vegeta, she awoke knowing she couldn't handle another day like yesterday. Instead, she took to the open road. She was past the outskirts of Satan City and enjoying the peaceful scenery when the world shattered around her in an explosion of sight and sound.  
  
Bulma screamed as she fought to hold onto control of the bike as some lunatic motorcyclist burst onto the road in front of her from a side street, closely followed by a dozen or so squad cars all pursuing with lights and sirens blazing.  
  
"HEY!" Bulma shouted after them, waving her first in the air. "No one almost forces Bulma Briefs off the road!"  
  
Her sense of outrage coupled with her addiction to excitement and adventure caused Bulma to floor the motorcycle in an effort to catch up to the commotion, which was rapidly outdistancing her. Cresting a hill, Bulma strained to see who was leading the chase. There'd been something strangely familiar about the blond person riding the bike that had narrowly missed crashing into her. "Kushami?" Bulma wondered. "LUNCH?!"  
  
Bulma smiled as she considered just what kind of trouble her old friend had gotten herself into. She flipped open a tab that concealed a small red button on the handlebars of the bike. Depressing it, she activated her hidden nitrox system, and the chopper shot forward with all the flames of hell trailing behind.  
  
Kushami had just enough time to look behind to see the fireball weaving between the cop cars before it pulled up next to her. She cocked the pistol of her handgun in anticipation of whom she would meet.  
  
"Need a hand?" Bulma called out to the blonde felon.  
  
"BULMA?" Kushami cried in surprise and joy.  
  
"Ditch the bike!" Bulma hollered, grinning.  
  
"What?!" Kushami's eyes then widened in understanding as Bulma held out a hand to her. She grabbed onto it and swung herself onto the back of the chopper. Her former getaway vehicle fell over and skid on its side down the highway, sending the cops into a confused tangle of cars all trying to avoid crashing into it and each other. Bulma and Kushami laughed at the mess they'd made. "Nice one, B!" Bulma nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Hang on!" she yelled back as she again hit the red button, and they rocketed away in a clean escape.  
  
***  
  
Yamcha and Vegeta were in the middle of the morning exercises, trading blows and enjoying the hell out of beating on each other when without warning Yamcha disengaged from the fight and earned himself a punch in the gut from Vegeta.  
  
"OW! What the hell was THAT for!" Yamcha yelled, doubled over in pain.  
  
"What do you mean what was that for, you wuss! Why did you stop?!" Vegeta roared, enraged that his sparring was being interrupted.  
  
Yamcha clutched his stomach and tried to catch his breath. "Bulma's back."  
  
"Already?" Vegeta asked and glanced over at the door as if she would magically appear right then and there. "How do you know?"  
  
"Chopper just returned. Hey, with your superior Saiyan hearing, I'm surprised you missed that." Yamcha made his way to the door.  
  
Vegeta scowled and ignored the barb. "Where are you going? We're not finished here!"  
  
"What was that, Vegeta?" Yamcha feigned deafness as he rounded the corner into the hallway. "I'm taking a break!"  
  
Vegeta fought the instinct to follow him and instead turned back to his exercises, cursing the entire time.  
  
***  
  
Yamcha jogged outside and happened upon the two beauties dismounting from the chopper, both laughing hysterically.  
  
"So you mean, you said hand me all your money as the poor guy was using the toilet?!" Bulma had tears running down her face.  
  
"Yeah, and he did it, no problem. Of course, THIS was aimed at his.cough, cough.at the time." Kushami smirked and expertly twirled one of her handguns before resheathing it.  
  
"Oh Kami! That is too funny!!" Bulma had to hang onto the chopper for support and was trying desperately to calm her breathing.  
  
"Hey Bulma! Kushami! Damn it's good to see you, girl!" Yamcha called out to the blonde woman with the familiar red sash tied in her hair.  
  
"You're still with this asshole?" Kushami grinned at Bulma and Yamcha.  
  
"Hey! Watch it now! Is that any way to greet an old friend?" Yamcha looked hurt.  
  
"We were friends?" Kushami asked, then playfully punched him in the arm. "I'm just kidding. Lighten up!"  
  
Yamcha smiled and winced as he rubbed his arm. The girl may not have had any ki, but she still packed a punch.  
  
"You hungry, Ku-chan?" Bulma asked, heading into the house.  
  
"Starving, B." Kushami and Yamcha walked up after her.  
  
A little while later, Yamcha and Bulma were setting the table for an early lunch while Bulma relayed the morning's events.  
  
"So what about Tien?" Yamcha asked.  
  
Bulma held up a finger to her lips and gestured down the hall towards the bathroom where Kushami had excused herself. "I haven't asked her about him," she whispered.  
  
Just as the food was set down, the door burst open, and Vegeta marched in. He surveyed the room, then pulled up a seat and helped himself to the spread.  
  
"Just make yourself at home, Vegeta," Bulma drawled.  
  
"Hmpf," he replied. Between mouthfuls he started in on her. "What kind of crap job did you pull on that droid! It lasted two minutes before disintegrating. Either you are becoming incredibly inept or incredibly lazy. I won't tolerate either. If you wish to continue to enjoy that precious air your breathing, I suggest some things start changing around here -"  
  
With that last statement, Vegeta found his chair with him in it being flipped backwards onto the floor. The sole of a boot slammed into his windpipe and pinned him to the floor. Yamcha and Bulma both bolted out of their seats in alarm. Just before Vegeta blasted his attacker into the next dimension, he heard a sneeze at the same instant Yamcha hauled the mystery person away from him. Bulma lent a hand to help Vegeta up off the ground, which he promptly smacked away. Her barely suppressed giggles further enraged him.  
  
"What happened?" A shy voice squeaked out.  
  
"All I know is, someone is about to die," Vegeta snarled, coming menacingly close to the navy-haired girl in front of him.  
  
Bulma stepped in between the two. "Vegeta, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine named Kush- I mean, Lunch. Lunch, this is Vegeta, the mighty Prince of all Saiyans."  
  
Lunch squealed. "A real prince?! Your Majesty, I'm honored!" Lunch swept into an extremely low bow which somewhat mollified and confused the putout warrior.  
  
Vegeta opened his mouth to swear at her, but instead growled, "Get up," and shoved his way past the lot of them and back outside.  
  
Bulma hugged her friend tightly. "Oh, I think he likes you, Lunch! I mean I thought you were a goner for sure!"  
  
"Bulma-" Yamcha warned, not liking where her thoughts might be heading.  
  
"Oh, be quiet, Yamcha!" Bulma cried. "Why don't you go do something useful for a change?! Like go train so you can defeat those androids!"  
  
Yamcha hung his low in defeat and slumped his way back to the training ground where Vegeta was undoubtedly waiting.  
  
"Androids?" Lunch quizzically asked. "And, um, Bulma, it's nice to see you and all, but tell me again how I got here."  
  
Bulma rolled her eyes and sat them down to enjoy the lunch that lay forgotten on the table. "Girl, we have SO much to catch up on. First, let's eat. Then, we're going shopping."  
  
"But I don't really need-" Lunch protested.  
  
"Nonsense!" Bulma interrupted and leaned in conspiratorially. "You want to impress the Prince, now don't you?" 


	2. Chapter 2

Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?  
  
Jane Austen  
  
***  
  
Convinced  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"You mean to tell me you went into outer space, B-chan?" Lunch incredulously asked while trying to balance the tons of shopping bags Bulma weighed her down with.  
  
"Oh, it was no big deal," Bulma dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. Then, a wistful expression crossed her face. "Remember all the fun we had, Lunch? Remember all the adventures, all the things that we used to do that made us feel so alive?"  
  
Lunch smiled softly. "Well, it was always you, Krillin, and Son-kun that did most of the adventuring. All I ever did was cook." Then, Lunch started crying.  
  
"Lunch! What's wrong? Did I say something to upset you?" Bulma cried, disentangling her friend from their extraordinary amount of baggage she was carrying and wrapping her arms around her distraught form.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing, B-chan. Please don't worry about me," Lunch sniffed. "It's just that when I think about those times, I think of Tienshinhan and the mess I made of everything."  
  
"You want to talk about it? Come on, let's go get a cup of coffee!" Bulma started to drag Lunch toward the food court of the mall.  
  
"But our packages!" Lunch exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, right. Hmmm, let me see. Wait! I got it! Hold on a sec!" Bulma whipped out her cell phone and started dialing numbers. "Hello, Dad? Yep, it's your sweet little darling daughter calling! HEY! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!! Listen, I need a favor. Could you send Yamcha over to carry home some bags of stuff Lunch and I bought at the mall? What? Well, you just tell that big jerk that he BETTER come over here! Vegeta can just kiss my ass! Oh, I'm sorry, Dad. Just tell Yamcha I'm putting the packages inside the store we're standing in front of. Frederick's of Hollywood. Thanks, Dad! Love you, too! Bye!"  
  
Bulma clicked her cell phone off and gave a satisfying nod of her head. "See, boyfriends really can come in handy. Oh, Lunch, I'm so sorry to have said that. Please stop crying. Come on, let's get that cup of coffee, and you can tell me all about it."  
  
An hour later, Bulma rolled her eyes for the fiftieth time unnoticed and stirred her cold cup of coffee. Once Lunch had been persuaded to relate her tragic tale of her failed romance with Tien, she hadn't stopped even to draw breath.  
  
"So, I mean, Bulma, I wasn't even there! It was that no-good dirty crook, Kushami, that ruined everything! Sometimes, I really hate her, B-chan, and then, I think how can you hate yourself?"  
  
Bulma thought to herself, "Believe me, I know what you mean. If I'd known what I was getting myself into I would have rather slit my wrists than take this walk down memory lane." But she wisely said instead, "I just don't think it was meant to be, Lu-chan. You mustn't be so hard on Kushami. She's really not so bad. Just a little high strung. Maybe fate has something better than Tien in store for you."  
  
"Better than Tienshinhan?" Lunch asked disbelieving. "Maybe you're right, Bulma. Maybe I have been too critical of my other self. Do you mind if I ask you a personal question, B-chan?"  
  
"Go right ahead," Bulma's interest perked up. She loved personal questions. It usually meant the topic of conversation was going to get a lot more exciting.  
  
"Do you think that fate intended for you and Yamcha-chan to be together forever?" Lunch's eyes gleamed hopefully.  
  
Bulma considered the question for a moment. "Well, Yamcha has been hinting that we need to settle down and start a family. I just don't know if I'm ready for that next step. I mean, all those years ago all I wanted was a boyfriend, but now I don't know if I'm ready for a husband yet."  
  
"But you would like Yamcha to be your husband, right? Eventually?" Lunch pressed.  
  
"Sure, I guess so. He's my boyfriend after all," Bulma smiled in an effort to conceal the uneasy flip-flops her stomach was doing and why did Vegeta's face suddenly pop into her head?  
  
***  
  
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN HERE?!" Bulma bellowed at the disarray she arrived to find her bedroom in. The contents of that afternoon's shopping extravaganza lay strewn all over the place. Dresses and sweaters swung from the ceiling fan. Knocked over lamps crushed delicate suede shoes. The shredded remains of her brand new comforter concealed crumpled skirts and blouses. The most embarrassing sight had to be her newly acquired lingerie billowing from the balcony outside. She refused to look at the courtyard below to see how much had blown down there.  
  
"WHOEVER DID THIS, I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" Bulma yelled again, causing the delicate Lunch to jump.  
  
"That would be Vegeta, sweetheart." Mrs. Briefs chimed in from the doorway, wanting to see what all the hubbub was about. "He was rather upset that you called Yamcha away from their training exercises this afternoon."  
  
"Rather upset?! RATHER UPSET!!! I'll show him who's 'Rather Upset!'" Bulma grabbed Lunch's hand and hauled her downstairs and outside towards the training center.  
  
The door to the room where the warriors were training blew open and a voice screamed, "Computer! Emergency shut down!"  
  
A mechanical voice droned out, "Yes, Ms. Briefs." Then, all the drones and gadgets came to a stop. The surprised fighters dropped to the ground from their floating positions halfway toward the ceiling of the giant space.  
  
Vegeta landed a few steps away from her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he yelled.  
  
Bulma didn't say anything to him, but instead responded with a punch to his face. It ended up surprising him and hurting her hand more than anything, but she got her point across. "DON'T YOU EVER GO IN MY ROOM AGAIN! YOU GOT THAT!"  
  
Vegeta held an amazed hand up to his face. It actually stung a little.  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK WHERE YOU THINKING, TRASHING MY ROOM LIKE THAT? HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND?" Bulma screeched.  
  
"HAVE YOU LOST YOURS?!" Vegeta hollered back. "Do you forget whom it is you're addressing, woman?!"  
  
Vegeta got right in her face, but that didn't faze Bulma one bit. "Listen up, you obnoxious little punk! You have no right going through my stuff like that! And YOU!" she wheeled on Yamcha. "Why did you let him do that?!"  
  
"Me?! How did I get involved in all this? He's the guilty one!" A frightened Yamcha pointed at the scowling Prince. "I'm not the one who trashed your things. He did!"  
  
Bulma spun on her heel to face Vegeta again, who had to admit she was an imposing sight when she was this angry. He almost enjoyed getting her riled up. "I wouldn't have gotten so mad if you hadn't interrupted our training sessions again! And for what? A few bags of those tawdry outfits you so much like to parade around in!"  
  
"Tawdry outfits! Tawdry outfits! I'll have you know my clothing is not TAWDRY! I happen to think I have excellent taste in clothing," she haughtily sniffed. "Hmpf," Vegeta responded, crossing his arms and trying to hide his growing amusement. "I don't appreciate you keeping the weakling away for three hours of valuable sparring time."  
  
"Wait a minute. Did you say THREE hours?" Bulma again turned on Yamcha who was looking determinedly nervous and beginning to sweat profusely. "Yamcha, the mall is only ten minutes from here. It should have only taken you a few minutes to load up the car. It can't have taken more than half an hour for the entire trip."  
  
Yamcha grinned to relieve some of the anxiety he was feeling and tried not to meet Bulma's suddenly suspicious eyes. "Well, see, I can't help it if the ladies in Frederick's were so nice and chatty."  
  
"Nice and chatty, huh? How's this for 'nice and chatty'?" Bulma smacked Yamcha upside the head and turned to storm out, Lunch right on her heels. "MEN! I hate them all!"  
  
Vegeta turned to smirk at the warrior who was rubbing the back of his head. "You've really got to learn to control your woman better, you sniveling excuse for a man."  
  
"Me?! She's the one who punched YOU in the face. I didn't see you laying down any laws. Besides, haven't you learned by now that NO ONE can control the high and mighty Bulma Briefs," Yamcha said sourly.  
  
"Hmpf." Vegeta again touched the red mark on his face and glanced thoughtfully back at the door where Bulma had made her dramatic exit. "I'll deal with her later."  
  
***  
  
After Bulma and Lunch cleaned up the mess in her room and sent the wrinkled items to the laundry facility to be steamed and pressed, the women headed out to Bulma's lab so she could spend a few hours at least on her Dad's project.  
  
"So tell me what you think of Vegeta?" Bulma tried to ask innocently.  
  
Lunch gulped. "I think he's a little - crazy."  
  
Bulma looked up at her from her work. "Compared to who? Seriously?"  
  
"Well, I guess compared with all of our old friends, he kind of fits in," she giggled. "Still, though, he shouldn't have made such a scene in your room."  
  
"Hey, that was nothing!" Bulma waved her hand. "If he'd been really mad, he would have just blown the place up with one of his ki blasts."  
  
Lunch stopped giggling abruptly. "Has this happened before?  
  
"What? Oh, dozens of times. Once every few weeks I guess. I do something he dislikes; he destroys something I hold dear. It's kind of a game we have going on."  
  
"Some game," Lunch mumbled.  
  
"It's nothing, really. You should have seen the fights we had when Vegeta first came to live here. We've calmed down a bit since then. At first, it was a really big adjustment. And with everyone else busy training for the androids who are coming to destroy the Earth, I was really lonely. But, Yamcha was around, and Vegeta makes life interesting, so I adjusted." Bulma sat back in her chair and stretched. "I sometimes wish I was a kid again, and we were off searching for Dragonballs."  
  
"I guess we can't go backwards, B-chan," Lunch sadly replied.  
  
"Nope, and that's why we're not going to sit around and mope about it!" Bulma leapt to her feet, her sudden movements startling her friend. "We're going to go inside and get you all fancied up. See, Vegeta isn't such a bad guy deep down. He's just not ready to admit it, yet. But I think you'll change all that!"  
  
"Gee, Bulma, do you think so?" Lunch started poofing up her hair with her fingers. "I don't know about all this."  
  
"Well, silly, why do you think we bought all those 'tawdry' little outfits? What red-blooded man doesn't like 'tawdry'? Even if he is a Saiyan." Bulma winked.  
  
***  
  
"What's all this shit?" Vegeta asked of the elegantly decked out and candlelit dining room where Mrs. Brief's was setting out dinner.  
  
"I think Bulma is planning something special tonight," Mrs. Briefs chimed in.  
  
"Hmpf," he said and sat down in his normal place and reached for some food.  
  
Mrs. Briefs smacked his hand away and wagged a finger at him. "Uh-uh-uh. You and Yamcha need to wait until the ladies are present."  
  
"Ladies?" Yamcha excitedly asked.  
  
"Ass," Vegeta grumbled. "She means her obnoxious brat and her friend."  
  
"Oh," Yamcha looked crestfallen.  
  
A few moments later the ladies arrived. Bulma walked in first wearing a short simple white dress with her hair (which was newly relaxed from its perm) halfway down her shoulders. The color really showed off her suntan, and the cut accented her figure in all the right places. Next in was Lunch who wore a sexy red Marilyn Monroe-esque dress with a plunging neckline and flared skirt. Her hair still held her trademark red sash, and her look was finished off with some strappy spiked red sandals. Yamcha was immediately drooling.  
  
As the girls sat down, Bulma remarked to Vegeta, "So you haven't said anything about how Lunch looks tonight, Vegeta."  
  
Vegeta couldn't stop staring at how lovely Bulma herself looked. Instead of replying, he crossed his arms and growled.  
  
"Well, I'd say she looks great!" Yamcha enthusiastically replied, leaning over towards the dark blue-haired beauty, who blushed deeply.  
  
"Oh, Yamcha! No one asked you!" Bulma cried, more than a little annoyed. "And what about me, huh? How do I look?"  
  
"Yeah, you look fine, Bulma," Yamcha mechanically replied, never taking his eyes off Lunch. His reply was greeted with a spoon thrown at his head. Vegeta snorted.  
  
"Well, I guess we should eat then," Bulma sullenly said, glaring at her boyfriend.  
  
"Looks like Jacko, the brainless wonder here, is already getting his fill," Vegeta sneered, indicating the way Yamcha was absentmindedly stroking Lunch's forearm as she prattled on about her shopping experience with Bulma. Turning to gauge Bulma's reaction, he made a mental note of the startling contrast between her purple face and the stark white of the dress.  
  
The dinner officially ended when Bulma ripped the tablecloth off the table and tried to strangle Yamcha with it.  
  
***  
  
"DATE! You still want to go on our date after that scene you pulled at dinner!" Bulma yelled.  
  
"I still don't know what you got so upset about. I was just talking to her. Geez!" Yamcha ran a hand through his hair and grinned.  
  
"Just talking? Yeah, right! More like PAWING!" Bulma stamped her foot on the ground in the courtyard outside. Lunch was wringing her hands on a nearby bench looking extremely upset. Vegeta stayed in the shadows with his arms crossed and enjoyed the fireworks. It didn't matter that his stomach was still growling. Food he could always find. Quality entertainment such as this was hard to come by.  
  
"Come on, baby, don't be mad!" Yamcha tried to put his arms around his ticked off girlfriend.  
  
"Get your hands off me, Yamcha! I mean it!" When he wouldn't let go, Bulma smashed the heel of her shoe into his big toe. Yamcha yelped in pain and hobbled a few feet away. "You can just forget about any little 'date' we had tonight. You blew it big time, buster!"  
  
Yamcha nursed his bruised toe as Bulma stormed off into the night. Lunch was looking from one to the other with small cries of "Oh, dear!" periodically escaping her lips. "So, uh, Lunch, what are your plans for tonight?" Yamcha suavely asked, sitting next to her on the bench.  
  
"Oh for the love of Kami! Yamcha, remind me to kick your sorry ass tomorrow!" Vegeta said disgusted as he pushed away from the wall and surprisingly headed off in Bulma's direction. 


	3. Chapter 3

Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?  
  
Jane Austen  
  
***  
  
Convinced  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Go away," a little voice hiccupped through tears against the shadowed walls of the compound.  
  
Vegeta stopped, crossed his arms, and glared.  
  
"I said - Go Away!" A small rock came hurtling at his head, which he caught deftly.  
  
"Didn't your mother ever teach you it's not nice to throw things?" he drawled.  
  
"What? You don't give a fuck about what my mother taught me," the annoyed reply whipped back.  
  
Vegeta grunted. "You're right. I don't. Quite some dramatics you displayed tonight. The tablecloth strangulation was a nice touch. New, I might add. Too bad you wussed out in the end and let him breathe again."  
  
The pebble Bulma had previously thrown came skidding back to her feet. She picked it back up and turned it over and over in her hand. "Why does he have to be such a JERK all the time?"  
  
"Hey, you pick 'em," Vegeta replied.  
  
"Shut up, you overgrown monkey," Bulma said, but there a slight giggle to it. "Did you come here to cheer me up?"  
  
"No, I, uh," Vegeta suddenly felt uncomfortable. Why had he come here?  
  
"Oh, come off it! Every time Yamcha and I have a fight, you always come to check on me." Bulma pushed herself up from her seated position and walked over to him. "See those little boxes mounted on the tops of the walls there? And those over there?"  
  
"Yeah, so what?" He asked gruffly, not liking the close proximity of her presence as she came to a halt right next to him.  
  
"Those are security cameras," she said matter-of-factly.  
  
"I KNOW what security cameras are, woman! I did arrive here in a highly advanced space ship, you know," he snapped.  
  
Bulma put her hands on her hips and barked, "Then, if you know what they are, then you'd know that they follow every movement you make. See, Dad's security forces may be scared of you, but they're not stupid! And I'm informed if you happen to do anything that warrants their concern. The twice-daily report is now almost as thick as a phone book. And it seems that after every fight Yamcha and I have you end up somewhere very close to me, usually where I can't see you! So, HAH! Caught you red handed!"  
  
Not only his hands, but his face as well as the Prince of the Saiyans turned a handsome tomato color. His mouth opened and shut as he tried to think of a response, but instead he turned and almost ran from her. A hand on his arm stopped him before he could make his escape.  
  
"Listen, Vegeta. Don't go. I think it's sweet. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry," Bulma softly said to him.  
  
He violently shrugged her arm off. "Don't touch me, woman. You overstep your bounds."  
  
"Oh, don't be like that! I'm not mad. Really! So, um, what did you think of Lunch tonight? Didn't she look great?" Bulma chirped.  
  
Vegeta stared at her as if she'd grown a few extra heads, horns, and a tail. "Woman! Enough! Leave me alone!!"  
  
As he blasted off into the skies where she couldn't possibly follow, Bulma wondered, "What the hell got into him?"  
  
***  
  
"So, Lunch, did you sleep well?" Mrs. Briefs asked at breakfast the next morning.  
  
"Oh, yes, Mrs. Briefs, very well!" The girl enthusiastically replied.  
  
"Mom, would you please tell Asshole there to pass me the marmelade?" Bulma glared at Yamcha.  
  
"Bulma, language," Mrs. Briefs chided. "Yamcha, dear, would you please pass the marmalade to Bulma?"  
  
"Come on, Bulma honey, you're not still mad at me are you?" Yamcha crooned, looking as innocent as could.  
  
"Just pass the fucking marmalade and shut up!" Bulma yelled back.  
  
"Bulma!" Mrs. Briefs exclaimed, covering her mouth in shock.  
  
Bulma ignored her and angrily snatched the marmalade from Yamcha's hand. "Where's Mr. High and Mighty this morning?"  
  
"Right here," Vegeta growled as he entered the room clad only in black sweatpants and a towel around his shoulders. He glared at Lunch. "You're in my seat."  
  
Lunch could only stare at his chiseled physique and stood frozen to her spot. Vegeta said a little more forcefully, "Move!"  
  
Lunch hurriedly grabbed her plate and moved to an empty location at the table. Everyone else ignored the situation.  
  
"Hey, Asshole! Pass the butter, you greedy pig!" Both Yamcha and Vegeta's eyes snapped to her face to see which one of them she was addressing. Vegeta smirked when he saw it was directed at the other guy and thankfully not at him. Yamcha tossed the butter to her as Mrs. Briefs sighed exasperatingly at her daughter's language.  
  
"So where were you all morning, hmmm?" Bulma turned to ask Vegeta.  
  
"Training, woman. Where else would I be?" he sarcastically replied.  
  
"Well, you certainly weren't in any classes at charm school!" she retorted. "Anyway, I thought maybe you could use a break in training. Maybe show Lunch around town."  
  
"Now, why would I do that, fool woman?" he rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with you doing it? What else do you do around here all day except make yourself a nuisance?"  
  
Bulma threw a muffin at him, which he caught and took a bite out of much to her annoyance. "All right then, maybe all FOUR of us could use a break, if you're too intimidated by Lunch's good looks to go by yourself."  
  
"Intimidated by WHAT? I'll have you know I'm not 'intimidated' by anything on this planet full of weaklings!" Vegeta shouted back, but Bulma only made chicken clucking sounds. He jumped to his feet and knocked his juice over which Mrs. Briefs hurriedly excused herself to the kitchen for some towels.  
  
"Oh yeah?!" Bulma got to her feet as well. "Then maybe we should all go and see how Son-kun's training is going over at his house today? As I recall, he kicked YOUR sorry butt."  
  
Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he digested her new tactic. He was deeply curious to see how Kakkarott's training was progressing as compared to his own, but he didn't want to seem too quick to acquiesce to her wishes. Instead, he just crossed his arms and "hmpfed."  
  
***  
  
Two hours later and Bulma was just beginning the decent of what she liked to call the "hover bus." It truly lived up to its name in that it was a spacious ten passenger flying vehicle that strongly resembled a bus and handled like one as well. But, today wasn't about flying in style, Bulma thought, it was all about comfort. And the bus had all the modern comforts of home, complete with a full bar, every game system and just about every game you could imagine, an entire home office with all the latest gadgets, and not to mention all the luxurious creature comforts that Bulma was used to.  
  
Yamcha, for the first part of the trip, sat up front with Bulma and tried to worm his way back into her good graces. When that failed miserably, he slunk back into the back and fixed himself a drink. Vegeta stared out the window and cursed the day he was born silently as Lunch chatted mindlessly next to him. He closed his eyes in a silent prayer of thanks to Kami when she shifted her attention to Yamcha.  
  
"So, Yamcha, how is Puar doing? I haven't seen her in a long time," Lunch asked.  
  
"Puar? She's doing great. She's actually visiting Korin right now. She should be back home within the next couple of days. Just in time to go apartment hunting with me," Yamcha boastfully announced.  
  
Vegeta's interest was suddenly peaked. "You moving out, weakling?"  
  
Yamcha nodded. "Sure am. The sooner the better."  
  
"Oh, Yamcha, why on Earth would you want to leave the Capsule Corporation?" Lunch plaintively cried.  
  
Yamcha held up his hands to fend off her disapproval. "Oh, it's not that I don't like the Compound or anything. Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for everything that they've done for me over the years. You know, watching my stuff while I played baseball the last couple of seasons. Treating me like family. It's just that I think it's time Bulma and I got our own place and put a little distance between her parents and us. I mean, if we're going to start a family of our own, I'd like it to be just us at least for a little while."  
  
Lunch's eyes filled with happy tears. "That sounds wonderful, Yamcha- chan."  
  
Yamcha sighed. "Yeah, I just hope Bulma agrees. Hey, where'd Vegeta get off to?"  
  
***  
  
Vegeta slid into the seat next to Bulma. "How much longer, woman? I could have flown to Mars and back by now."  
  
"Cool it, Vegeta. We'll put down in about ten minutes. I'm sorry my hover bus isn't as quick as your speedy Saiyan flying, but then again you don't carry a full bar around when you fly, do you?" Bulma stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"Well, step on it. If I have to listen to that jackass yonder discuss any more of his life plans, I'm going to hurl over your precious hover bus," he groaned.  
  
"What life plans?" Bulma asked.  
  
Vegeta smirked, "Something about an apartment for the both of you and starting a family. I didn't care to hear the rest. I say good riddens to the both of you!"  
  
Bulma smacked him on the arm. "And where would that leave you, Mr. I'm- Without-A-Planet-To-Call-Home? If I go, my Dad would have you out on your ass so fast-"  
  
Vegeta snorted. "That may be, woman, but your mother wouldn't. Besides, I have no intention of leaving once you're gone. The Gravity Room is too vital to my becoming a Super Saiyan. Besides, with your mother's excellent cooking, and your father's mechanical ability, you wouldn't be missed."  
  
"Wouldn't be missed?!" Bulma yelled. "Listen, bucko, I'm the only friend you've got on this planet. And if you think Mom and Dad would just tolerate your rampages without my charming intervention, you are completely mistaken. They only let you stay because I told them that deep down you're a decent guy."  
  
"YOU TOLD THEM WHAT? I am NOT a 'decent guy'!" Vegeta barked.  
  
Bulma shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever, Vegeta. Besides if it's excellent cooking you want, did you know that Lunch can cook? I have to admit that she's ten times the cook I'll ever be."  
  
Vegeta rolled his eyes and stood up. "That's not saying much, woman."  
  
***  
  
Finally, they arrived and de-boarded the bus. Chi-Chi and Gohan rushed out to meet them.  
  
"Bulma! Yamcha! How nice of you to drop by! And, can it be? Lunch! Good gracious, girl, you haven't changed a bit! Come in! Come in! Oh, and hello, Vegeta." Chi-Chi shot the warrior a withering glance that told him exactly where he stood with her. Not that he cared in the least.  
  
"Where's Kakarrot?" he coldly replied.  
  
"GOKU is out training with Piccolo in the field over there. I'm sure you can find the way," she dismissively replied while ushering everyone else inside.  
  
Bulma nudged Lunch and whispered, "Why don't you walk over there with him?"  
  
Lunch looked startled. "Oh, but I couldn't! He didn't ask me to."  
  
Bulma sighed deeply. "Newsflash, Vegeta never 'asks' for anything. Now hurry up before he gets too far ahead."  
  
Lunch flashed her a nervous smile and trotted after the prince much to the disapproval of Chi-Chi. "Well, I'm sure you two would like some tea, won't you? I just hope Lunch knows what she's doing."  
  
Bulma nodded and winked at Yamcha who just shook his head.  
  
Lunch had to break into a short run, but she caught up with the Saiyan. "Hi, Vegeta. I'm surprised you just didn't fly on over there."  
  
Vegeta didn't bother to look over at her. "Thanks for the idea."  
  
Lunch forced herself to take hold of his arm to prevent him from taking off. "I, um, thought we might be able to talk some more on the walk over."  
  
Vegeta snatched his arm away. "Haven't you talked enough, woman? You babbled the entire trip over here."  
  
Instead of being insulted as he intended, Lunch laughed. "Yes, sometimes I do that, don't I?"  
  
Vegeta clenched his teeth and scouted the area for the precise position of Kakkarot's ki.  
  
"Bulma thinks you're a pretty decent guy," Lunch tried to begin a conversation. "And B-chan is usually right about these things."  
  
"Hmpf," Vegeta replied, picking up his pace, desperate to get away from the girl.  
  
"I mean she always liked Tien. Well, not always to be honest, but she liked him a lot more after he and Son-kun patched up their differences. Tien," Lunch sighed wistfully.  
  
"That loser with the three eyes?" Vegeta found himself asking.  
  
"Then you know him?" Lunch asked.  
  
Vegeta looked at her surprised. "Know him?! Yes, he was one of the weaklings that Nappa sent-"  
  
"Vegeta!" Goku hollered and waved. "Over here!"  
  
He and Piccolo stopped their training at the sight of the two approaching them on the field. "And who's this with you? Oh, it can't be!"  
  
Vegeta heard a sneeze and the click of gun being cocked next to his head. He looked to his right and noticed the barrel of a high caliber handgun being held next to his temple by a strange blonde woman wearing Lunch's clothes.  
  
Goku and Piccolo stopped abruptly. Goku laughed and said, "Hey, Kushami! Long time no see!" 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I usually don't write author's notes so this is a rarity for me although it may become something I regularly do. Thank you all so much for reading my story and a very big thank you to those that review. While I don't create a story specifically for reviews, I love to receive them and appreciate every single one. I wanted to say a few things about this story. I figure if you've come this far, you hopefully like it and will want to continue. I just wanted to make clear my choice to use "Lunch" instead of "Launch." It simply comes down to a personal preference for the original translation instead of the FUNimation interpretation. On the other hand, I thought "Kushami" was a far better name than "Sneeze." As for the plotline, I thought it might be fun to involve Lunch and what would happen if Bulma decided to try her hand at matchmaking and meddling in Vegeta's love life. The actual story is still evolving in my head, and I'm always open to suggestions.  
  
Thanks to mushi-azn for setting my head spinning in the direction of also making this a Tien/Lunch romance. Thanks to Android18 for understanding what I'm trying to portray in terms of their relationship. I hope you like where I'm taking this. :) Thanks to Chuquita, Mia, serendy4evr, Vegeta's Dark Fairy, Samantha, and Nekita for their kind words. And thanks to Shigasu, an author I'm just now discovering, who along with Rhapsody, I stand in awe.  
  
***  
  
Convinced  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"You!" Kushami spit out coldly, never letting the gun waver even the slightest bit from her intended target's skull. Her finger squeezed the trigger just enough to prevent it from actually firing.  
  
Vegeta calculated that if she should fire he had a pretty good chance of phasing out of the way and killing her before the bullet entered his brain. But, he wasn't one hundred percent sure of that, so his next best option was to stay put and keep quiet. A little ways away, Goku's grin started to fade as he realized that Vegeta might actually be in a bit of trouble. Piccolo looked on uninterested.  
  
"Uh, Kushami? Hey, whatcha doing there, huh?" Goku tried and failed to laugh and lighten the mood.  
  
"I'm going to kill this son-of-a-bitch," Kushami said matter-of-factly.  
  
Goku's smile faded altogether. "Why would you want to do that?"  
  
There was a pause, then with a voice full of pain and hatred, Kushami said, "Because he was the boss of that bastard that killed Tien. I don't know if he ordered it or not, but he sure as hell stood by and let it happen."  
  
Before Goku had a chance to respond, Piccolo surprisingly said, "Nappa is dead."  
  
Kushami cocked her head to the side. "So his name was Nappa, was it? Too bad someone whacked him before I had a chance to do it. I would have really enjoyed killing that fucker myself. So which one of you had the honors?"  
  
"I did." Vegeta declared, turning his head boldly to look Kushami in the eye. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. "Nappa was weak, a trait I do not tolerate in my subordinates."  
  
Kushami's eyes glittered with a deep rage. "Nappa," she enunciated, "killed Tien, and Tien was NOT a weak fighter."  
  
Vegeta smirked. "He was that day."  
  
Kushami bit back an outraged cry and started to pull the trigger fully when Goku's shout stopped her. Suddenly, he was standing next to her and had moved so fast, Vegeta knew he must have used his instantaneous transportation trick. Goku placed a finger on the barrel and gently lowered it away from Vegeta.  
  
"Kushami-chan, we need Vegeta to fight the androids," he said in a gentle voice and moved to stand between Vegeta and the terribly upset girl whose eyes glistened with unshed tears.  
  
Kushami nodded slowly, then quickly turned about face and walked a few feet away while looking up at the sky. Goku had the feeling she needed a moment of privacy in order to collect herself and wisely let her be. Behind him, Vegeta growled, "I don't need you fighting my battles, Kakkarot. Get out of my way."  
  
Goku turned around, smiling and scratching his head. "Battles? With Kushami? Aw, come on, she's not really your enemy."  
  
Vegeta shrugged. "She held a gun to my head."  
  
"Wah," Piccolo flatly said. "Enough of this already. Are you here to spar, Vegeta? Or just waste our time?"  
  
Vegeta smirked and let his ki flare in response. "You want some of this, you green freak?"  
  
Piccolo tossed his cape back off his shoulders and bared his teeth. "Anytime. Unless you weren't finished with the woman there?"  
  
Vegeta turned to glance back at Kushami who still had her back turned to them. "Hmpf. That Tien guy was worthless anyway. Still is."  
  
With that, he and Goku started back towards the practice field when someone tapped his shoulder. As he turned around, he was cold cocked across the temple with the butt of a revolver and fell to the ground. "That's for Tien, you arrogant fuck," Kushami screamed.  
  
***  
  
Bulma sipped on her tea politely as Chi-Chi related yet another fascinating tale about Gohan's academic prowess. The motion of the hands on the clock mounted above Chi-Chi's head threatened to hypnotize Bulma who kept nodding off and violently jerking back awake. Yamcha was with Gohan checking his room out.  
  
As Bulma violently spasmed awake for the fourth time, Chi-Chi said with much concern, "Bulma-chan, I never noticed you had such a pronounced twitching problem. Is something wrong?"  
  
Bulma yawned and stretched. "Nothing that a little caffeine won't fix." And a ball gag, she grumpily thought.  
  
As Chi-Chi got up to get Bulma another cup of tea from the kitchen, Bulma seized the opportunity and jumped up instead. "No, no, Chi-Chi-chan. Don't be silly; I'll get it."  
  
"Well, alright," Chi-Chi hesitatingly began, not quite comfortable with someone waiting on her in her own house, a thing that rarely happened. "I think you know where everything is."  
  
Bulma took their cups to the kitchen and began to pour the tea. As she did so, she looked out the window onto the beautiful view of the practice field outside. What she saw made her drop the teapot and cup, which shattered on the floor.  
  
"Great Kami! What was that?!" Chi-Chi came running into the kitchen, but Bulma was already out the back door and running for all she was worth through the brilliant green grass.  
  
***  
  
Vegeta staggered to his feet and tried to comprehend what had just happened. He heard shouting which did nothing to ease the tremendous pain emanating from the side of his head. Without thinking, he powered up his ki and prepared to send someone to the next dimension. If no target could be found, Kakkarot would do nicely.  
  
His vision blurred for a brief moment then locked in on the blonde girl who had been Lunch and now called herself Kushami. Vegeta's head hurt too much to puzzle it out just then. She was struggling with all of her might in Kakkarot's strong grip while he desperately tried to calm her down and shield her from the angry Saiyan's wrath. Truth be told, he was more surprised by the whole thing than angry. All would have been forgotten given her tragic circumstances and non-existent ki except that his pride had been injured. He still wasn't ready to admit that a worthless human female had knocked him down. Just as he created a ki ball powerful enough to wipe her existence from the face of the planet even considering Kakkarot's weak attempt to protect her, the sight of a certain blue-haired woman racing towards him and screaming momentarily distracted him  
  
"VEGETA! DON'T YOU DO IT! YOU HEAR ME, YOU POINTY-HAIRED BABOON?!" Bulma yelled at the top of her lungs. As she skidded to a halt next to him, she had to put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She briefly thought she should have won a medal for that Olympic-paced sprint. In between mouthfuls of air, she gasped, "If you kill her, I'm blowing up the Gravity Room. And I'm not rebuilding it."  
  
Vegeta turned back to Kushami and pointed a finger with a glowing ball of ki emerging from the tip. "Then that means the Earth loses two totally worthless females today. I maybe end up a hero yet."  
  
Goku pushed the still thrashing Kushami behind his back and held her there with one hand. "Hey, Vegeta. Come on. I'm sure she didn't mean it. Hey, let's not go crazy here."  
  
"I sure as hell did mean it, Goku! And next time, I'm not just gonna cold cock the stupid mother-" Kushami started, but was interrupted by Goku squeezing her tighter and muffling her voice against his broad shoulder blades.  
  
Vegeta aimed right at Goku's chest directly where Kushami's head lay buried behind him and fired. "HEY, VEGETA!" Goku cried, barely deflecting the blast. "Watch it!"  
  
Vegeta sneered and replied, "I was."  
  
As he raised his hand again to unleash an even bigger blast, Bulma bravely stepped directly in front of his hand. She was so close, the tip of his finger brushed the collar of her blouse. Dead seriously, she said, "No more, Vegeta. Just back off."  
  
Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "Don't meddle, woman."  
  
"It's my middle name," she deadpanned, never taking her eyes from his. The tension in the air was so thick, even Piccolo was starting to be affected.  
  
Vegeta took a step closer and painfully pressed his finger into her collarbone. He could kill her now, and there was no one, not even Kakkarot, who could save her. "Why should I spare her life, woman?"  
  
Bulma didn't flinch, knowing that if she did, Kushami and Lunch were dead. "Because I'm asking you to."  
  
Vegeta smirked and relaxed. "Fine. Now, you owe me. I expect the Gravity Room to exceed 350 by this time tomorrow."  
  
"WHAT?!" Bulma cried. "THAT WILL TAKE ME ALL NIGHT! Yamcha and I have plans later!"  
  
Vegeta crossed his arms. "All right. Make it 400 then."  
  
Goku sighed as one who deeply loves and regrets having wildcats for close friends. He spent the next ten minutes trying to keep both women from clawing the Saiyan Prince's eyes out as he and Piccolo went off to spar. Luckily, Yamcha arrived and took over at which point Goku happily turned Super Saiyan and went off to play with the others.  
  
***  
  
The ride back to the Capsule Corporation compound could be described as anything but fun. Yamcha sat in the back nursing a black eye from his struggles with either Kushami or Bulma, he couldn't tell which. Kushami sat in moody silence after uttering only seven profound words the entire rest of the afternoon, and those happened to be aimed at Vegeta. They were "stay the fuck away from me, asshole." Vegeta was furious that even after all his intense training, Kakkarot's ki level and prowess still far exceeded him. If anything, the gap between them had grown wider. And Bulma was still stewing that her plans tonight included spending all her precious "alone" time tangled up in the Gravity Room's wires and circuit boards instead of with Yamcha.  
  
Vegeta again came up front to sit beside her in the passenger seat. "Damn it, woman! Make this piece of crap fly faster!"  
  
Bulma stared straight ahead with white knuckles gripping the steering wheel painfully.  
  
Vegeta opened his mouth to say something else when Bulma snapped her head towards him. "Shut it, Vegetable Brains! Not another word! Do you hear me?! Not a single god damned word!"  
  
He looked over at her and shrugged. Opening the passenger door, he muttered something about "not needing all this bullshit" and flew off ahead of them. Bulma blasted the horn after him and floored the bus as if she could overtake him and run him down. The bus lurched forward and gained a little momentum, but by then, Vegeta was just a tiny speck on the horizon. As Bulma downshifted the engines to try and conserve some of the fuel she'd just wasted, she heard a fit of sneezing from the passenger compartment behind her. A few moments later, Lunch appeared. "Are we going home already?"  
  
"Yeah," Bulma mumbled through clenched teeth.  
  
Lunch sat down next to her and smiled. "Well, did we have a good time?" 


End file.
